Started in 2014, SATURNALIA serves every year as a season closure
for MACAO, celebrating and enforcing the values of experimentation
and inclusiveness that marks the work of its SOUND COLLECTIVE
(Tavolo Suono). Since its first installment, it has progressively
become one the most relevant events for Italy’s underground scene,
combining musical acts from all over the world on its three stages
and gaining recognition throughout all Europe, thanks to its
unique blend of sounds from different areas of the experimental
spectrum, mutant dancefloor vibes and documents from different
musical cultures. But what makes SATURNALIA really stand out is
MACAO’s atmosphere, unlike any other music venue in Europe.
DIY and inclusiveness are at the core of SATURNALIA’s productive
effort: its creation is open to spontaneous participation and the
festival’s prices are made to be affordable by anyone. We push
artists, volunteers and audience members to cooperate on an equal
level for the creation of an extended moment of growth. A kind of
political approach that attempts to modify the current global
cultural climate.
The spirit of Saturnalia is inherently subversive and progressive,
a raving race towards enlightenment. MACAO’s Sound Collective
created the festival to reclaim the true meaning of underground
culture and self-organization, and molding them into an experience
set to impact on a deeper cultural level. It has now become a
crucial gathering for a community of people that can at the same
time relate to it’s party element, to its sonic research and to
its politics. Refusing to enforce any process of audience
selection, we instead work on building the vibe through the direct
sharing of emotions and ideas, engaging everyone in a process of
constructive exchange. No door policies, no pre-sale tickets, no
borders. Through our work and our partying we give a statement of
what we want the future to be like.